Avoiding Festival Ticket Scams

The safest festival ticket is one bought from the festival's own box office, its official promoter or agent, or a well-known and reputable ticket site, and paid for by credit card rather than bank transfer. Most losses start with a stranger online offering a ticket to a sold-out event.

Safe Buying Rules

STAR, the UK ticketing trade body, advises the public to buy only from "the venue's box office, official promoter or agent, or a well-known and reputable ticket site". Buying from a STAR member means buying from an authorised ticket supplier signed up to its code of practice, with access to an approved dispute resolution service if a complaint cannot be settled.

A sold-out festival is where fans are most exposed. Which? advises sticking to official retailers and, for sold-out events, looking for resale platforms that cap prices at face value. Many festivals publish their own resale or ticket-transfer rules, so check the official site before buying a second-hand ticket from anyone.

Payment Safeguards

Payment is not just the value of the ticket but the difference between getting your money back and losing it. STAR advises avoiding bank transfer, especially when buying from someone unknown, and says a credit card or a payment service such as PayPal gives a better chance of recovering money after a fraud. Which? warns never to pay an individual seller by bank transfer or cryptocurrency.

A credit card also brings Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. Citizens Advice explains that it lets you claim from the card provider when you paid more than £100 and no more than £30,000; for debit cards, and for smaller amounts, the route is to ask your bank for a chargeback. The UK government urges people never to move away from an official payment platform to pay directly by bank transfer or virtual currency.

Social Media, Resellers and Red Flags

Social media is where much of the trouble begins. The UK government reported that around 3,700 gig ticket fraud reports were made to Action Fraud in 2024, with almost half referring to offers made on social media platforms. Which? warns against buying from strangers on social platforms and suggests treating newly created accounts with few followers as a warning sign.

Other red flags are unsolicited emails, texts or adverts with unbelievably good deals, pressure to pay quickly, a request to switch to bank transfer, and a price that seems too good to be true for a sold-out event. A screenshot, a QR code or a convincing profile does not prove that a seller holds a genuine ticket or has the right to resell it.

If money has already gone, contact your bank immediately, using the number on the back of your card. Then report it to Report Fraud, the national reporting service that replaced Action Fraud for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, online at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040; in Scotland, contact Police Scotland on 101. The practical rule is simple: buy from the right source, pay the right way, and act fast if anything looks wrong.